Experience

ANTWERP | Restored masterpiece ‘Christ & John Group’ shines in exhibition ‘Public Favourites’

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After an absence of nearly two years, the ‘Christ & John Group‘ or ‘Christus-Johannesgroep‘ can be admired in again in Antwerp since July 2025. This Flemish masterpiece, a rare and moving highlight of Gothic sculpture, is now on display in the exhibition ‘Public Favourites An Intimate Look at Masterpieces from the Museum Mayer van den Bergh‘. 

The Royal Institute for Cultural Heritage (KIK-IRPA) in Brussels conducted research and carried out the restoration of the sculpture group.

Colour regained

Created around 1300 by the German master Heinrich von Konstanz, the ‘Christ & John Group’was heavily soiled and covered with a dull wax-resin layer. The typically Gothic polychromy – gold leaf and red, green, and blue paint – had significantly worn away over the centuries. 

For instance, the paint on the knees of Jesus and John had completely disappeared, likely due to repeated touches from the Dominican nuns in Diessenhofen, Switzerland, where the sculpture stood in the St. Catherine’s Convent well into the 19th century. Remarkably, the pink blush on the cheeks remained largely intact.

Thanks to meticulous research, including analysis of historical samples from the KIK archive, the restoration team was able to clean, stabilise, and refresh both the wood and the original polychromy. 

Restorer Ingrid Geelen from the KIK-IRPA explains: “The treatment made the sculpture appear less dull and faded. The colours are far more vibrant and the gold leaf shines more brilliantly.”

Emotional expressiveness

Radiographic imaging confirmed that the entire wood sculpture was carved from a single block of walnut – an impressive feat of craftsmanship, given the work’s size. But it is above all the human intimacy of the sculpture that makes it a public favourite. 

Screenwriter and author Angelo Tijssens selected the sculpture as his personal favourite for the ‘Public Favourites’ exhibition: “There’s a head resting against a heart, hands intertwined. Empathy, tenderness, comfort – that’s what this centuries-old, meticulously carved work still evokes in viewers today.”

Alderwoman for Culture Lien Van de Kelder (Vooruit) adds: “The ‘Public Favourites’ exhibition takes visitors on a journey through the most beautiful masterpieces, selected by 43 citizens of Antwerp. I’m thrilled we can now add another stunning piece to the collection. Now that the ‘Christ & John Group’ has been restored, it becomes clear why Angelo Tijssens was looking forward to it so eagerly: this wooden sculpture will move everyone.”

Public favourites

Collector Fritz Mayer van den Bergh (1858–1901) purchased the sculpture in Cologne in 1900. It was one of the last artworks he acquired before his sudden death. In his honour, his mother Henriëtte founded a museum for his collection: the Museum Mayer van den Bergh.

The museum building is currently being renovated, and a significant part of the collection is temporarily on display in the Maagdenhuis, just 100 metres away. The ‘Christ & John Group’ is part of the ‘Public Favourites’ exhibition, in which 43 well-known and lesser-known museum enthusiasts each chose a work from the collection that touched them personally. 

Their perspectives provide a fresh, contemporary view on ninety masterpieces, including ‘Mad Meg‘ (‘Dulle Griet‘) by Pieter Bruegel the Elder – and now also the beautifully restored ‘Christ & John Group‘.

Practical information: ‘Public Favourites. An Intimate Look at Masterpieces’

  • Venue: Maagdenhuis, Lange Gasthuisstraat 33, 2000 Antwerp.
  • Dates: Friday 20 June 2025 to Sunday 12 September 2027
  • Opening Hours: Tuesday to Sunday, 10:00–17:00.
  • More information and tickets: www.museummayervandenbergh.be.

Art and museums in Antwerp

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